When she found herself furloughed from her job as a United Airlines flight attendant during the COVID pandemic, Desiree Collazo didn’t binge watch shows on Netflix. Instead, she took advantage of the time to achieve the long-held goal of earning her real estate license. Now she specializes in first-time buyers and sellers, as well as rentals and relocations, including for Chicago-based airline employees, on Chicago’s Northwest side, near where she was born and raised in Logan Square.

Prior to becoming a flight attendant, Collazo worked in the insurance industry, which first opened her eyes to real estate. Through working with homeowners and property investors, she gained insight into the importance of real estate as both a financial investment and a key part of people’s lives. “This naturally sparked my interest in the real estate industry, as I began to see the close relationship between property ownership and insurance,” she recalls. “Over time, the knowledge I developed about property values, risk assessment and client needs inspired me to explore real estate more deeply, not just from a protection standpoint, but also from a sales and investment perspective.”

Though she is relatively new to the field, Collazo is already making a name for herself. She won Fulton Grace’s 2023 Rookie of the Year honors and was also the brokerage’s Top Rental Producer in 2023 and 2024. “With just two years of experience and limited background in the field, I was honored by my brokerage to receive recognition for my tenacity and dedication,” she shares.

Still a working flight attendant, Collazo enjoys world travel, especially exploring architecture, visiting fresh markets, learning about regional spices and herbs, and taking cooking classes in the countries she visits. Her favorite architect is the Catalan modernist Antoni Gaudi.